Bathing cap



Mai-ch 16, 1937.

F. BRIGHTEN BATHING CAP Filed Jan. 22, 1936 Mrs/W02. F'Efi/VK 5 9 TE N Patented Mar. 16, 1937 PATENT oer-1C1:

BATHING CAP Frank Brighten, London, England Application January 22, 1936, Serial No. 60,342 In Great Britain February 4, 1935 1 Claim. (01. H8)

This invention relates to caps intended for use, primarily by ladies, when bathing so as to keep the hair dry and has for its object to provide an improved cap which will prevent the ingress of .water more efilciently than those hitherto in use. To this end and in accordance with the present invention a bathing cap of known close-fitting typeflis formed interiorly with an endless watersealing flange or strip in the form of a flexible web constructed as a ring spaced a short distance from the edge of the cap, and extending completely therear'ound, said ring being integrally moulded with the cap and self-supporting in an inwardly projecting direction, so that when the-cap is in use a double seal is formed, one where the edge of the cap fits close against the head and another, within the cap, where the flange has been bent up from its normal position and fits closely against the head.

Inasmuch as the second seal is formed by the pressure against the head of a flange which in use is inwardly and upwardly directed, it follows that the head opening presented by the rim or free edge of said flange is less than that presented by 25 the edge of the cap so that when the cap is donned the material of which the flange is made must be stretched to a greater extent than the edge of the cap and therefore flts' tighter against the head than does said edge, and there is a small fiat an- 30 nular air space between the two gripping edges which assists in making an effective watertight seal.

If in use any water finds it way under the edge of the cap it is trapped by the second seal pre- 35 sented by the flange and its passage is thus arrested, hence water cannot reach the hair of the wearer.

An embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail, by way of example, with 40 the aid of accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation in a plane from front to rear;

Figure 2 is a pictorial view to show part of a cap in sectional elevation at right-angles to Fig- 45 ure 1; and

Figure 3 is an inverted plan of Figure l. In the drawing the body of the cap is designated I and this may be of any suitable pattern or design so long as'the opening at the edge 2 is closely 50 fitting and elastic. The internal flange 3 is an endless band or ring spaced a shortdistance from the edge 2 and extending completely around the cap from back to front. It is self-supporting to maintain normally (when not in use) in inwardly 55 projecting position. This is preferably at 9;

about right-angles to the wall I where it is joined, but any angle may be employed so long as it lies in a position where the act of pushing 'in the head will 2press the flange upwardly as shown in Figure I The rim or free edge 4 of the flange 3 is, by-virtue of the disposition described, smaller in length than the junction line 5, and also smaller than the edge 2.- Thus when the cap is forced on the head, and the flange constrained to assume the 10 position in Figure 2, there will be an eflective water-seal at the edge 4, as well as at the edge 2, and an annular air chamber is formed between the edges 2 and 4.

The internal flange 3 of the improved bathing 15 cap does not necessarily follow .the configuration of the edge 2 of the cap for it is quite common to form such caps with ear flaps or depending parts 6 intended to cover the ears.

If the improved cap be made with such ear flaps v or parts 6 the flange 3 is preferably arched upwards at or about those parts (see Figure 1) corresponding with the ears so that at those parts the second seal is situated at a greater distance from the edge of the cap than at other parts, although if desired the flange may follow the configuration of the edge of the cap, or it may be bifurcated at those parts corresponding with the ears so that its bifurcations pass above and below the ears. Further, the width of the flange between lines 4 and 5 may vary throughout its annular length, and as will be seen in Figure 3 it may be slightly-wider at the sides than at the front and rear.

In some cases an additional internal flange may be provided to form a third seal.

Generally speaking india rubber is the most suitable material from which to make bathing caps and in the present instance is perhaps the best as it enables the internal flange to be moulded simultaneously and integrally with the remainder of the cap; the invention is not restricted, however, to india rubber bathing caps as the improved cap can be made from other suitable elastic materials, nor is it restricted to close fltting caps as it can be applied to caps of other shapes having a close fitting edge at 2 extending upwards for a requisite degree.

I claim:--

A bathing cap comprising a hollow, closed-top, open-bottom body of elastic material, and a strip of elastic materialextending entirely around said body interiorly thereof and joined along its outer edge with said body along a line such that when the cap is applied to the head said strip engages is stretched and its under face adjacent to its the forehead and the neck and the sides of the head above the ears, said strip being free at its inner edge and being formed to extend inwardly from the cap body at substantially right angles thereto when the cap is in an open unworn condition and being relatively thin so that when the cap is pulled onto the head said strip bends i'ree- Lv upwardly and its free or inner edge portion free edge is brought into snug, watertight engagement with the head, said strip also being of greater width at the sides of the cap than at the front and the rear thereof to assure a watertight engagement of the strip throughout its length with the head when the cap is applied to the head.

FRANK BRIGHTER. 

